By Holly Van Houten
The spring semester at Huckleberry begins next week and many of my classes are full and have waiting lists. As of today, 1 space has opened up in Creative Writing: Outline Your Way to a Terrific Novel, and there are a few spaces left in Argumentative Writing/Blogging and Fables, Myths & Fairy Tales (IEW). I'll post a detailed syllabus for Argumentative Writing/Blogging in the next day or so, but for those interested in a great writing class for an 8-11 year old child, look over the Syllabus below and feel free to email me with any questions you may have (hollyvanh@gmail.com). This should be a wonderful, lively class. I will model the writing with students each week in class by utilizing our "group" setting to work together on these projects in a fun and engaging way. We'll have a great time writing together in class and students will be well prepared to then do similar work on their own for homework each week. It's a great way to instill a "love" of writing in even the most reluctant writers.
Syllabus
(IEW) Fables, Myths & Fairy Tales
Fables
2/7 - Today’s Objectives: Writing Key Word Outlines, re-telling the fable from those outlines and learning our 1st “Dress-Ups” (“Banned Words” – using Strong Verbs and Quality Adjectives in place of over-used words). In class examples will be The Grasshopper and the Ants and The Eagle and the Jackdaw. We will also begin our “Banned words” contest for homework (winning team will have longest list of banned words – each must have 5 substitutes).
àHomework: The Lion and the Mouse – Just as we modeled in class today, students will write key word outlines and then retell the story next week in class – they should practice their presentations at home once they’ve finished their outlines. Work on “Banned Words” lists. (Parents: “Banned Words” are over-used words… for example, “nice.” Students will be competing to find “banned” or over-used words and come up with a list of at least 5 synonyms that could be used in their place (i.e. Quality Adjectives or Strong Verbs)
2/14 - Review Homework/”Banned Words” contest entries. Today’s Objectives: Writing Key Word Outlines, Re-Writing fables from those outlines and learning more “Dress-ups” (Adverbs – or “ly” words). In class example will be The Milkmaid and Her Pail. Together we will write a Key Word Outline, Re-Write the fable from that outline (1 Paragraph) and brainstorm for all 3 “Dress-ups.”
àHomework: The Four Oxen and the Lioness. Just as we modeled in class today, students will write key word outlines and re-WRITE story (1 Paragraph) from their notes using 3 Dress-Ups (Quality Adjectives, Strong Verbs and “LY” words/adverbs).
2/21 - Presidents’ Day
2/28 - Review Homework, noting “Dress-ups.” Today’s Objectives: Writing Key-Word Outlines, Re-Writing fables from those Outlines, and learning more “Dress-Ups,” (“Who/Which” Adjectival Clauses). In class example will be The Fox and the Crow. Together, we will write a Key Word Outline and Re-Write the story (1 Paragraph) from our notes (using all 4 “Dress-Ups”).
àHomework: The Fox and the Stork. Just as we modeled in class today, students will write Key Word Outlines and Re-Write the story (1 Paragraph) from their Outline, using all 4 Dress-Ups. (Quality Adjectives, Strong Verbs, “LY” words/adverbs, and who/which Adjectival Clauses).
Myths
3/7- Review Homework, noting Dress-Ups. Today’s Objectives: Writing Story Sequence Outlines and Re-Telling the story from our outlines. In class example will be Jason and the Argonauts. Together, we will write a Story Sequence Outline and “re-tell” the story from our outline.
àHomework: The Gift of Fire –Just as we modeled in class today, students will write Story Sequence Outlines and be prepared to “re-tell” the story from their outlines (they should practice “re-telling” the story at home).
3/14 - Review Homework. Today’s Objectives: Writing Story Sequence Outlines, Summarizing from Outlines, writing “Final Clinchers” and brainstorming for “Dress-ups.” In class example will be The Dreadful Punishment. Together we will write a Story Sequence Outline and then write a summary of the myth based on that outline, using “Final Clinchers” and “Dress-Ups.”
àHomework: Arachne – Just as we modeled in class today, students will write a Story Sequence Outline for Arachne and then write a one paragraph summary from that Story Sequence Outline using “Final Clinchers” and “Dress-Ups.”
3/21 - Review Homework. Today’s Objectives: Writing Story Sequence Outlines, Summarizing from Outlines and Learning more “Dress-Ups” (writing Adverbial Clauses [www.asia] or when, why, where, as, since, if, although). In class example will be Theseus and the Minotaur. Together, we’ll write a Story Sequence Outline and then write a one-paragraph summary from that outline, using Adverbial Clauses and other “Dress-Ups.”
àHomework: Daedalus and Icarus – Just as we modeled in class today, students will write a Story Sequence Outline and a one paragraph summary from that outline, using Adverbial Clauses and other “Dress-Ups.”
Fairy Tales
3/28 - Review Homework. Today’s Objectives: Taking Notes from Facts, Summarizing References and learning to write Topic Sentences & Clinchers. In class examples will be – Aesop the Author and The Brothers Grimm. Together, we’ll take notes and summarize, while focusing on Topic Sentence and Clinchers.
àHomework: Influencing Hans Christian Andersen – Just as we modeled in class today, students will Take Notes from Facts and write a 1 paragraph summary, with special attention to Topic Sentences and Clinchers.
4/4 - Review Homework. Today’s Objectives: Writing from Pictures and learning to use the Past Perfect Tense. In class example will be: Cinderella. Together, we’ll write our own version of Cinderella based only on 3 story sequence pictures.
à Homework: Beauty and the Beast. Just as we modeled in class today, students will write their own version of Beauty and the Beast based on pictures.
Working with Sources
4/11 - Review Homework. Today’s Objectives: Working with 2 sources, writing “Fused Outlines,” summarizing from a “Fused Outline” and using the “ly” sentence opener. In class example will be: Daedalus & Icarus and Night Crossing. Together, we will outline 2 sources, write a “fused” outline of those two sources and then write a 1 paragraph summary, using an “ly” opener and other “Dress-Ups.”
àHomework: The Knights of the Round Table and Lessons from the Round Table Knights. Just as we modeled in class today, students will outline each source, write a “Fused” outline of both and then write a 1 paragraph summary, using an “ly” opener and other “Dress-Ups.”
4/18 - Spring Break
4/25 – Review Homework. Today’s Obejctives: Working with 3 sources, writing “Fused Outlines,” summarizing from a “Fused Outline” and brainstorming all “Dress-Ups.” In class example will be the “King Arthur” sources. Together we will write an outline for each of our 3 sources and then write a “Fused Outline” combining all 3 sources.
à Homework – Using the “Fused Outline” we completed in class today, students will write a 1 paragraph summary of the “King Arthur” sources we outlined together in class, using all “Dress-Ups.”
Creative Writing
Over the next 3 weeks, students will flex their creative muscles even further as we write variations on traditional fables, myths and fairy tales. Each class session will be a workshop focusing on each different type of story. We will be compiling these into a Project Book for the class, so please bring a polished copy of each story to class on the day they are due (as they will be Xeroxed for inclusion in our Project Book).
5/2 – Write Your Own Fable (Due for Homework Next Week).
5/9 - Write Your Own Myth (Due for Homework Next Week).
5/16 - Write Your Own Fairy Tale (Due for Homework Next Week).
5/23 - Fable Festival. We’ll pick (from the original renditions in our Project Book) the best Fables, Myths and Fairy Tales to be read at the End of Semester Show.
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